The book traces long-standing societal unjust structures and transformations in South Asia to highlight persistent inequality and lost potential, with a central emphasis on gender disparities and their impact on well-being/ill-being. Focusing on recent decades marked by rapid technological change, it highlights missed opportunities, particularly the failure to invest in women. The book analyzes this neglect and its substantial social costs, examining impacts on health, education, and labor productivity through the lens of cultural norms, policies, and institutions. Beyond quantitative analysis, the book incorporates key political developments and accounts of women engaged in social activism to highlight the resilience and agency of women across the region. In doing so, it presents long-term trends and historical trajectories, while identifying critical moments of missed opportunity. Ultimately, the book conveys a clear message to social planners: women should not be treated as a standalone concern, but rather integrated at the core of all development agendas, a prerequisite for achieving inclusive and sustainable societal prosperity.

Autorentext

Asma Hyder is Professor of Economics at the Institute of Business Administration (IBA), Karachi and PARC research affiliate at the University of Pennsylvania. She is an educator and a researcher. She is a recipient of the J. William Fulbright Award for International Understanding, through which she completed her postdoctoral research at the University of Pennsylvania, USA. In addition to her extensive academic career in Pakistan, Asma has held several notable international appointments, including positions at the University of Sussex, the London School of Economics and Political Science (UK), Carleton University (Canada), the UCLA Institute for Research on Labor and Employment, and the University of Pennsylvania (USA). Her research focuses on development economics, health and social policy, labor markets, and wellbeing. A significant part of her scholarly contribution involves the empirical analysis of household behavior, particularly in relation to labor market decisions and child welfare during climatic disruptions and economic shocks in developing and low-income countries. She is the mother of two children and currently resides between Virginia, USA and Karachi, Pakistan.